This could be a very short post. Reply all: Don’t do it.

But since this is my forum, I will add this:

If we are making a plan and there are only a few people on the email, reply all is acceptable. IN EVERY OTHER SCENARIO IT IS NOT. Right next to “reply all” is a button labeled “reply.” I highly recommend it.

Most egregious over-uses of reply-all aka function-which-should-be-banned:

Emails that should go simply to the organizer of an event but no! Instead you opt to reply all  to the 36 people who were invited and their spouses, aka 72 people. I don’t care if you’re going to be late and/or have a question about the event. The organizer might. I don’t (See “reply” button option)

Similarly, emails that go to large group inviting you to an event do not need “reply all” with your regret.  No one but the person doing a head count (and your good friends whom you have already informed privately) really cares if you’re coming. Or at least, I don’t care.

If I have replied “no” to an event (privately, using aforementioned “reply” button), please for the love of god take me off the entire chain. I beg you.

Email to large group thanking one or two people for their hard work on something. What this actually does — and I know you know this – is show off how polite and thoughtful you are. Kudos and all. But know that when you do it in a group email, others who are prone to annoying email behavior think this is okay too. So then I get 900 other people responding “yes, thanks you two!” or “ditto!” and the like. Feel that I don’t have to explain why this is particularly painful…right?

Worst of all: group texts. Why, why, why?? Especially those wishing everyone a happy new year and the inevitable reply all responses. Sometimes I don’t even recognize the area code on a text I get. So… please don’t do that. Ever.